Air bag safety device

Abstract

An automatically inflatable air bag for protection of vehicle occupants during collisions, the bag having an exterior or forward compartment and interior or rearward compartment, where the exterior compartment is inflated first.

I claim: 
     
       1. A vehicle air bag device comprising an inflatable, multiple compartment, air bag having an exterior compartment and an interior compartment, inflation gas, means to deliver said inflation gas to inflate said air bag in the event of a vehicle impact, and a housing to retain said air bag in a deflated state, where said gas delivery means inflates said exterior compartment prior to said interior compartment, where said gas delivery means further comprises a gas inflation nozzle, where said exterior compartment is separated from said interior compartment by a partition member having an aperture, where said aperture in said partition member receives said nozzle such that said nozzle extends through said partition member and into said exterior compartment when said air bag is in the deflated state and retained within said housing, whereby said inflation gas is initially delivered by said nozzle only into said external compartment upon vehicle impact, and where said partition member is pulled off said nozzle when said exterior compartment inflates, such that said nozzle then delivers said inflation gas into said interior compartment. 
     
     
       2. The device of claim 1, where said nozzle comprises a forward aperture and at least one lateral aperture for passage of the inflation gas into said air bag. 
     
     
       3. The device of claim 2, where said air bag further comprises rapid deflation means. 
     
     
       4. A vehicle passenger safety device comprising a multiple compartment, inflatable air bag having an exterior compartment and an interior compartment separated by a partition member, means to deliver inflation gas into said air bag to inflate said exterior compartment prior to said interior compartment, and a housing to retain said air bag in a deflated and folded configuration, said housing having a panel member which opens upon inflation of said air bag, where said gas delivery means comprises a nozzle and where said partition member comprises an aperture, where said nozzle extends through said aperture into said exterior compartment when said air bag is in the deflated and folded configuration within said housing, and where said partition member is pulled off said nozzle when said exterior compartment is inflated, such that said interior compartment is then inflated by gas delivered through said nozzle. 
     
     
       5. The device of claim 4, where said nozzle comprises a forward aperture and at least one lateral aperture, such that when said partition member is pulled past said at least one lateral aperture gas is delivered to said interior compartment while said forward aperture delivers gas to said exterior compartment.